Peacebuilding Commission

The United Nations today announced the selection of the members of the Senior Advisory Group for the Review of International Civilian Capacities. The Advisory Group, named by United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, includes senior figures from a diverse range of backgrounds who couple operational experience in the aftermath of conflict with a deep understanding of the United Nations system and its Member States.

Despite an encouraging commitment to peacebuilding priorities on the part of the Guinea-Bissau authorities, there had been only slow progress in security-sector reform, economic development and combating drug trafficking, the Chairperson of the Peacebuilding Commission’s relevant country-specific configuration said today.

The Peacebuilding Commission must create closer ties with the Bretton Woods institutions in 2010, in addition to a more structured relationship with the Security Council and streamlined working methods to better and more swiftly help post-conflict countries sustain peace and development, Peter Wittig (Germany), the newly elected Chairperson of the Commission’s Organizational Committee, said today.

The Central African Republic configuration of the Peacebuilding Commission this morning called for stepped-up inter-community dialogue in the north of the country and improved funding for security sector reform, as it adopted its first biannual review of the strategic framework for peacebuilding.

To celebrate the unifying spirit and fortieth anniversary of the Plastic Ono Band’s universal anthem, “Give Peace a Chance”, Yoko Ono, Sean Lennon and Julian Lennon have partnered with EMI Music and Sony/ATV Music Publishing to donate net proceeds from the sale of a commemorative fortieth anniversary digital single to the United Nations Peacebuilding Fund.

“Peace is the ultimate public good,” the newly appointed Assistant Secretary-General for Peacebuilding Support told the Organizational Committee of the Peacebuilding Commission today as it met to adopt its draft report for its third session.

With efforts under way in Burundi to ensure transparent elections in 2010, entrench democratic principles into national institutions and advance a pivotal ceasefire accord with Forces Nationales de Libération (FNL) rebels, the country was successfully emerging from years of conflict, the Peacebuilding Commission heard today, as it adopted the conclusions of its third biannual review of the implementation of the Strategic Framework for Peacebuilding in Burundi.

The United Nations Peacebuilding Commission has welcomed a report by the Secretary-General on peacebuilding in the immediate aftermath of conflict, delivered to the Security Council today. The report follows a request from the Security Council last year and is part of a series of related initiatives aimed at consolidating and strengthening the United Nations response in the area of peace and security.

United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon this afternoon spelled out five key ways to help post-conflict countries achieve sustainable peace more rapidly and effectively, as he addressed the Peacebuilding Commission’s third session.

The Organizational Committee of the third session of the Peacebuilding Commission elected Peter Maurer (Switzerland) by acclamation on Monday as Chair of the country-specific configuration on Burundi, replacing Anders Lidén of Sweden.